Snapshot 21w16a introduces some changes to azaleas and dripstone. On top of that, we've tweaked the textures of raw ores. There are also a few additions to the Caves & Cliffs preview datapack.
New Features in 21w16a
Azalea and Flowering Azalea can now be bonemealed to get an Azalea Trees
Added dripstone growth
Dripstone growth
If a stalactite is hanging from a dripstone block with a water source above, it will slowly grow both the stalactite from above and a stalagmite from below
Growth speed is random but very slow, a single growth step can take several minecraft days
A stalactite will only grow up to 7 blocks long
A stalactite will only cause stalagmite growth if the floor or stalagmite below is within 10 blocks
If the stalactite tip is inside water it won't drip, and therefore won't trigger any growth
If the stalagmite tip is inside water it won't receive drops, and therefore won't be grown by a dripping stalactite. Same thing if there is any fluid between the two tips
A stalagmite or stalactite will never grow into a fluid
Changes in 21w16a
Tweaked the texture of raw ores and raw ore blocks
New raw ore textures in snapshot 21w16a. Click here for a link to the full resolution image.
Changes to the Caves & Cliffs Preview
Download the updated datapack here
A lava aquifer in snapshot 21w16a. Click here for a link to the full resolution image.
Aquifers below height 0 will sometimes be lava aquifers instead of water aquifers
Ore veins can now spawn underground
Ore veins
Ore veins are large, rare, snake-like underground ore formations
Copper veins form above height 0 and are mixed with granite
Iron veins form below height 0 and are mixed with tuff
Technical Changes in 21w16a
Users who previously permanently declined server resource packs will now still be shown the pack prompt if the pack is mandatory (instead of being immediately disconnected)
The statistic for play time has been renamed to play_time
There is now a statistic for "Time with World Open" (total_world_time) that also includes time when the game was paused
Bugs fixed in 21w16a
MC-29522 stat.playOneMinute adds a value of 1 every tick
MC-55775 Statistics screen sometimes doesn't show up to date information
MC-111534 The firework rocket use statistic doesn't count rockets used for elytra boosting
MC-117653 Recipes and advancements are not granted while most GUIs are open
MC-136560 minecraft.used:minecraft.elytra not functioning
MC-136681 Debug Stick use statistic increases when not allowed to use it
MC-157116 Food that is plantable counts towards using when right clicked on the ground
MC-190128 Using a flint and steel to ingite TNT is not tracked by the in-game stats
MC-203637 Mobs don't avoid lava cauldrons when pathfinding despite of setting themselves on fire
MC-205236 Frozen State doesn't go away after respawn when on a server
MC-208598 Baby axolotls take damage when touching a solid block from below / eye height is outside of their hitbox
MC-212113 Glow Lichen can spawn underwater whilst not in a cave.
MC-212863 Glow lichen use the same color as vines on maps
MC-213927 Using bone meal on a sapling that is on a moss block consumes bone meal, but doesn't grow into a tree